The meeting with Big East New York City power St. John’s University, in which the Rams won up at Rose Hill Saturday evening, may have put Pecora ahead of his plan. Fordham certainly is a dominant squad and not showing any effects of a team that won five games the past two years.

The game was sold out, a rarity at Rose Hill. Fordham overcame a 20-point deficit, and showed no signs of a team that would quit. It was perhaps one of the most memorable games up at Rose Hill. And after their 84-81 triumph, that put Fordham over the .500 mark at 5-4, many in the crowd stormed the court

They were not storming the court for the “Red Storm” of St John’s.  It was the Rams of Fordham, believe it or not, who can truly say they are right now the premiere college basketball team in New York City.

“This wasn’t about me,” Pecora would say afterwards about the most significant win for a Fordham basketball team in the past five years. “This was for these kids, for the fans,” he said. Truly, after Saturday, at least for the time being the suffering was over up at Rose Hill.

There is still a competitive Atlantic 10 conference schedule to come in January, That will determine how good this Fordham team is, or if they truly are going to be a competitive basketball program once again in New York. Pecora has definitely seen the competiveness of his team and a revival of the interest since taking over the program last March.

“Saturday is going to be fun to play and fun to watch,” said Pecora after his team defeated Manhattan College earlier in the week up at Rose Hill in the annual “Battle of the Bronx.”  “These matchups revitalize New York college basketball,” he said about consecutive games against Manhattan and St. John’s.”

After that win over Manhattan, Fordham reached the .500 mark for the first time in three years. Pecora said more than once, something special is happening at Rose Hill.  There is no talk about the dismal past after an abysmal, 2-26 overall mark and 0-16 record in the Atlantic 10 Conference of last season under former coach Dereck Whittenburg.

They have already equaled their win total of the last two seasons. The players, many who have been a part of the previous losing seasons up at Rose Hill, believe there has been a change of culture. Their coach wants them to believe that.

“We don’t look at what happened here in the past,” said senior Brenton Butler had a game high 21 points for the Rams against Manhattan and was a big part of a 16-0 run against St. John’s that narrowed the gap. Butler averaging 15.3 points per game has now scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games and had 22 in the win Saturday.

The last Fordham win against the Red Storm came in December of 2000. The entire campus anticipated the matchup, a buzz about Fordham basketball that hasn’t been heard in a long time.

“It’s a great environment, it’s awesome, it’s exciting,” said Butler who had not heard this reaction about an upcoming game, the one with St John’s in his four years at Rose Hill. He is a five year player that wanted to stay and be a part of this new culture that Pecora has preached.

Pecora said his team stayed around and stole one late against St. John’s. To the contrary Fordham did not steal this one. They have convinced their faithful and suffering fans they are ahead of the plan to revitalizing basketball up at Rose Hill.

NOTES: Butler was named Most Valuable Player of the Manhattan game by writers at press row and received the Mike Cohen Award, a trophy in memory of the late New York City public relations executive and former Manhattan Sports Information Director….

Before tipoff prior to the Manhattan game, a moment of silence was observed for Freddy Schuman, “Freddy Sez” a fixture at Fordham and Manhattan games and also at New York Yankee games with his trademark frying pan and motivational sayings.  Also silence was observed for former New York Yankee and former Fordham baseball coach Gil McDougald who passed away last week.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring76@aol.com

The group then traveled to Rhode Island to participate in a prep school tournament. The students and staff returned to New York City on the weekend for a round of sightseeing. Orellana said the trip had several purposes, to play basketball on U.S. soil, which most had never done, expose the youngsters to the eyes of U.S. scouts and give the players the experience of seeing New York City and the East Coast.

Orellana is an experienced basketball coach with many years of experience of coaching in the United States. He was an assistant coach at Division I colleges on both U.S. coasts, St. Francis in Brooklyn, Farleigh Dickinson in New Jersey and in California at the University of California-Irvine and the University of California-Fullerton. He also coached youngsters on the high school level and internationally in Venezuela.

In 2004, Orellana left his position in California to follow his dream of founding a basketball school overseas where he could help international players gain a scholarship to Division I colleges in the U.S. His first effort in this regard gave him the knowledge and experience to begin the Canarias Basketball Academy three years ago. Spain’s archipelago may seem a strange place to develop talented basketball players, but thus far,

Orellana has been successful. After his team’s game against Monroe, Orellana explained, “It was always a dream of mine to establish a basketball academy. We [CBA] offer an alternative to U.S. prep schools. Ninety per cent of our boys are looking for a scholarship to U.S. universities and ten per cent are hoping to play professionally in Europe. This experience has given me my greatest satisfaction. These are great kids. They have no baggage. They only want to play basketball and improve.” Approximately 30 of the 50 current students are from the United Kingdom. The director said, “We’ve had great success with U.K. players.”

The U.K.’s Danny Thompson is one of the British successes. After two years at the CBA, Thompson was given a scholarship to Fordham University in the Bronx this fall. Thompson reacted to the news with exuberance, “Everything about Fordham University excites me,…getting a world class education, living in New York City and playing in the Atlantic 10.”

He spoke with gratitude of his experience at the CBA, “My two years at CBA have been great. I can’t imagine being more prepared for the next level. I want to thank CBA for what they’ve done. People have all kinds of opinions about CBA but unless you’ve lived it, you can never understand how valuable it is.”

Thompson was joined at Fordham this season by a second CBA alum, Farho Alihodzic. The Bosnian native was a member of Great Britain’s U20 National Team. The 6-10 post-player has started several games as a Fordham freshman this season. An additional one dozen CBA students were given Division I scholarships to U.S. colleges during the past two years.

On Saturday, February 6, after a contest with Charlotte, Fordham’s head coach, Jared Grasso, spoke very enthusiastically of Orellna and the CBA, “Their coach [Orelllna] was an assistant coach when I played in the NEC. We developed a very close relationship. He does an excellent job over there. He’s very good at what he does. They hold three practices a day.”

He explained the reasons why CBA students make a fine fit at Fordham, “In Fordham, you could recruit in Europe because you can sell New York City and our fine education.” Grasso’s strongest words of praise for the CBA were, “I would send my son there.”

The closeness of the game was made apparent immediately. Mini-spurts by each team earned the largest advantage each achieved in the first half. Five unanswered points by the Rams gave Fordham a 16-11 lead at 13:25 of the first half. Late in the half, six straight points by the visitors earned Charlotte a 28-24 advantage with 3:02 left in the half. To the joy of the hopeful fans in the gym, Fordham led 30-29 at the half.

Charlotte began the second half with three straight baskets to move ahead by a score of 35-30. Chris Gaston then put on a one-man show. The Fordham frosh scored the next 12 points to give the Rams a 42-35 lead with 14:58 remaining in the game. Fordham coach Jared Grasso said of the young man’s effort, “He’s the best freshman in the league. Today, he was the best player in the league.  He put the team on his back.” Two layups by Fordham’s Jacob Green gave Fordham its game high lead of 10 points, 59-49, with 6:59 left. The lead was reversed with an 18 point contribution by Derrio Green of Charlotte during the final five minutes. Green scored 22 of his team high of 24 in the second half. Grasso praised the achievement,

“Derrio Green was fantastic. Hats off to him! He made some great shots. That’s what great players do.” Fordham’s Chris Gaston accomplished his 13^th double-double of the season. He scored 32 points and grabbed 12 boards. He also led the Rams with six assists. He is the favorite to earn the A-10 Rookie of the Year award at the conclusion of the season.

Grasso, youngest head coach in NCAA Division I, was pleased by the progress of his freshman dominated squad, “It was one of those games where we had them on the ropes. This team grew up today. This team, when we add some pieces, will be very good. I’m happy with where we are. We’re moving in the right direction.” The Rams return home on Saturday, February 13^th for a 1 PM matinee with George Washington.

“Try not to do crazy stuff,” is what he told me explained Moquete.  The 6’1, 181-pound point guard who cleared NCAA Clearinghouse issues in late December, scored his first collegiate basket on January 13^th at Madison Square Garden and finished with seven points in a Fordham loss to A-10 opponent Dayton.

Moquete is one of those promising athletes coming from the Dominican Republic, an Island known more for its production of baseball talent that come to the states. But the last few years there has been a revival of talent coming off the basketball court from Santo Domingo and other parts of the Republic,

And as Grasso says, his new point guard has the potential to be a leader and for the time being will get the start as Fordham continues to struggle. They lost their 12^th straight game Wednesday evening 80-73, now 2-17 overall, 0-7 in the conference. Moquete finished with five points, had three assists and was 2-for-2 from the free throw line.

“He’s going to be good in certain spots and comes here in the middle of the season as a starting point guard in a difficult situation,” said Grasso about Moquete. “He’s trying to pick up everything we do offensively and defensively. It was his first start, solid and he will get better.”

Moquete is also getting some help from newcomers, because the young Rams have only one veteran player from last year’s squad that get the start, senior Brenton Butler. Moquete was one of four freshmen that got the start against LaSalle.  And he seemed to adjust quickly in his new role, not doing the “crazy: things that Grasso referred to.

“let the game come to you  and give me the opportunity to help this team win,” said Moquete  after the game, referring to how he approached his first start. It was the same type of approach that got him a spot a spot on the Fordham roster. A graduate of Our Savior New American School in Centereach New York, Moquete averaged 15 points per game in his last year.

A call came from Miami Dade Community College, but he waited to get cleared and go for the good education and potential start up at Rose Hill.  “They showed interest,” he said about Miami and other schools,” so did Fordham.  “I think this is a perfect fit for me. Fordham is a good school and we can do something big here.”

This was the first game Fordham stayed competitive in the second half. And at one point it looked like the Rams were headed to victory. But LaSalle made 17 of their 25 shots in the second half, including mistakes by the young Rams that led to four important free throws in the final minutes that made a difference.

On the court most of the time, Moquete played 25 minutes, there was the intensity, hustle and leadership. Butler missed one of key free throws that could have tied the game at the four minute mark. Moquete went to the line and quickly gave Butler a tap to the head after he missed the first shot.

“Part of my game is to pick my teammates ,” he said   “He will make a difference for us, said the other freshman, forward Chris Gaston who led the Rams with 21 points and 15 rebounds, his 12^th double-double game of the season.

Email Rich Mancuso: Ring7876@aol.com

Temple, thus far, has compiled one of its best early season marks. Currently ranked #16/17 in national polls, The Owls defeated top 5 ranked Villanova on December 13. Two of its three losses came at the hands of ranked teams. Georgetown edged Temple, 46-45, and the Owls were blown out by Kansas, then #1 ranked. Its only other defeat was by the St. John’s Red Storm.

Fordham, on the other hand, has started horribly. Its head coach, Derek Whittenburg, was fired after coaching the first five games of the season. The slow start followed a 3-25 record in the 2008-9 season. The current head coach, Jared Grasso, the youngest head coach in Division I men’s basketball, has led the team to only one victory in 12 contests.

The background of the two teams seemed totally irrelevant as they battled evenly during the first half. The score was knotted three times and the lead changed hands five times during the first 10 minutes. A layup by Fordham’s Chris Gaston at 9:25 gave Fordham its final lead of the game. The half ended with the visitors leading, 22-19. The stats for the teams were very similar. Both shot below 30% from the floor. Each only netted two treys and grabbed 18 boards.

Temple’s three more free throws than Fordham were the difference between the two. Veteran coach Fran Dunphy spoke of his team’s poor start, “I have no idea why we start so slow. We had decent looks in the first half, but we didn’t make them.”

Temple adjusted well in the second half, and began the period with a 16-4 scoring run to take a 38-23 lead with 13:45 remaining. Temple continued its domination of the contest, raising its advantage to 23 points. Fordham closed the game outscoring the visitors 14-8, but it was too little, too late. Temple’s shooting from the floor was outstanding. The Owls netted 16 of 24 attempts, 7 of 9 from beyond the arc. Dunphy credited his bench players, who outscored Fordham 26-12, for creating the separation during the second half. Sophomore Scootie Reynolds, averaging less than two points per game, scored all 12 of his points in the second half on four of five from three point range. Grasso talked of his team’s inability to play effectively for 40 minutes,

“We played 22-23 minutes, and ran out of gas.” Grasso, as he often does, spoke of the youth of his freshmen dominated squad, “We showed how young we are. In the second half, they made more shots, and we didn’t respond. Sometimes, you see the difference between upperclassmen and freshmen.” Grasso did speak very positively of the effort his players make, “They’re playing hard. The effort is there. I’m not disappointed.”

Freshman Chris Gaston of the Rams, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, continued his double digit average in both categories with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

And though this is a much different Fordham team, eight new players joining five veterans, the win came at the right time because most don’t expect Fordham to be any more competitive than their 3-25 finish of last season.  “The streak is over,” commented Whittenburg now in his seventh year at Fordham. “It’s a new season,” he said.

There is some optimism that this could be the beginning of the resurgence up at Rose Hill. Whittenburg alluded to the lack of chemistry with some of the seniors last season. Clashing with the coach behind the scenes, or as he says, “outside influences that got into the kids heads,”

In other words it was the ugliest season in Whittenburg’s tenure at Fordham with the exception of the first year in 2003-2004 when the Rams finished 6-22. The Rams finished last in the Atlantic 10 Conference and for the first time failed to qualify for the A-10 post season tournament with a 1-15 conference mark.

You saw things in their third game that offered some optimism, though Sacred Heart offers no comparison to some of the nationally ranked teams in the A-10. Things that the coach liked coming from 6-7 freshman Chris Gaston who scored 22 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked five shots.

“I saw him as a freshman and how he can be in there with the bigger guys,” said Whittenburg who recruited Gaston out of New Hampton Prep School in New Hampton, New Hampshire where he averaged over 17.0ppg and 12 rebounds. In the season opener against Maine last week, Gaston got his first collegiate double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Gaston made 8-of-16 shots for the Rams. He showed confidence on the floor, but Whittenburgh cautioned he is still a freshman. “I want to keep him focused,” he said about Gaston. “I had a talk with him. If you don’t play defense and just concentrate on scoring then I’m taking you out of the game.”

Gaston listened to that talk in the second half. Perhaps what happened last season was that lack of communication. Whittenburgh sees the difference with Gaston and some of the other newcomers.  “We executed better,” said the coach, words that were hardly said all last year.

“I am just going to do everything that I can to show them my ability,” said Gaston.  He knows that his ability could lead the Fordham program back to respectability. “It’s been developing all week as to what I can do,” he said. “This is a team effort and all we have to do is execute and take control.”

Part of that execution against Sacred Heart (2-1) was Fordham going on a 21-2 run over a span of 7:25 in the second half. That gave them a 72-51 lead. Gaston had eight points during the run and senior guard Brenton Butler, 15 points, also had eight during that span.

So it was a team effort and reason for optimism before traveling to Hartford, and taking on the Jaspers at Manhattan College for the annual Battle of the Bronx all in the next ten days.

“We’re gonna see the true test of our team,” said Whittenburg.

E-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com